Firefighters sprang into action early Wednesday morning after receiving reports of a semi-truck that was on fire in the southbound lane of Interstate 75 in Marion County.
Shortly after 2:35 a.m., Marion County Fire Rescue units were dispatched to the incident location, which was just north of mile marker 348 on I-75. According to MCFR, the driver of the semi-truck had called 911 to report that his trailer carrying perishable food items was engulfed in flames.
At 2:48 a.m., crews from MCFR’s Friendship Station #21 were the first to arrive on scene. Crew members observed flames and smoke rising from the trailer, which had been detached by the driver prior to their arrival. The fire was “50% involved,” and firefighters immediately utilized hose lines to combat the flames.
Two southbound lanes of I-75 were shut down while firefighters battled the blaze. MCFR crews had the fire under control within four minutes of their arrival.
There were no injuries reported to the semi-truck’s driver or first responders on scene. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that a 26-year-old Ocala man was killed in a rollover crash on I-75, near the location of the trailer fire, at 2:50 a.m.
Emergency Management and the State Warning Point were notified of the fire.